What is Magnetometer Sensor : Top Manufacturers and Vendors

A magnetometer sensor is a precision device used to measure the strength and direction of magnetic fields. Commonly integrated into smartphones, drones, navigation systems, industrial equipment, and scientific instruments, magnetometers support electronic compass functions, orientation sensing, geophysical surveys, and magnetic field monitoring applications.

What is a Magnetometer Sensor?

• A magnetometer sensor is an instrument used to measure magnetic fields.
• It measures magnetic flux density (B) in units of Tesla or Wb/m² or kg/(A * s²).
• Magnetometers are used to detect fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field.

• Magnetometers are classified into two types: scalar and vector.
• Vector magnetometers measure flux density in a specific direction in three-dimensional space. Example: fluxgate magnetometer.
• Scalar magnetometers measure the total strength of the magnetic field.
• Chip-based magnetometers are usually vector types, containing three sensors mounted orthogonally (each at 90 degrees to the other two).
• They are used for various scientific purposes, navigation, and more. They’re also used in smartphones as compasses.
• Magnetometer sensors are often used in conjunction with microcontrollers.

Magnetometer Sensor Features (Example: HMC5883L from Honeywell)

Here are some key features of a typical magnetometer sensor:

• It’s a 3-axis magnetoresistive sensor.
• It uses a 12-bit ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) to deliver 1 to 2 degrees of compass heading accuracy.
• It has an I²C digital interface for easy interfacing with microcontrollers or other controlling devices.
• It offers a wide magnetic field measurement range.
• It requires a low voltage (2.16 to 3.6V) for operation and consumes very little power.
• RoHS Compliance.

Magnetometer Sensor Manufacturers

The following table lists popular Magnetometer Sensor manufacturers or vendors:

Magnetometer Sensor Manufacturers	Description
Honeywell	• Model : HMC5883L • Features as mentioned above
Freescale Semiconductor	• Model : FXMS3110 • 3-axis magnetometer sensor
InvenSense	• Model: MPU-9250 • It is a highly sophisticated IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). • It includes a 3-axis gyroscope in addition to a 3-axis magnetometer and a 3-axis accelerometer. • It can be accessed using I2C or SPI protocol.
ST Microelectronics (sold by Adafruit)	• Model : LSM303 • It also contains a 3-axis accelerometer in addition to a 3-axis magnetometer sensor.
Bosch Sensortec GmbH	• Module known as ecompass uses two separate sensors integrated within a single LGA package viz. 3-axis magnetometer and 3-axis accelerometer. Magnetometer is used for geomagnetic field detection and accelerometer is used for tilt compensation.

Summary

A magnetometer sensor measures magnetic field intensity and direction for navigation, positioning, and sensing applications. Manufacturers develop magnetometers for smartphones, drones, industrial systems, aerospace, and scientific instrumentation.